Good afternoon. How are those nerves? Blackpool v West Ham United. Ian Holloway v Sam Allardyce. They say form goes out the window in a cup final but for the Championship play-off final it is logic that is told to do a runner. But what else can you really expect from a game that is measured not so much in terms of glory or achievement, but in value?

The monetisation of the Championship play-off final is an unstoppable modern football clap-trap and whether this match is worth £10m, £20m, £30m or £100m to the eventual winners is not of concern – at least not today on the pitch or in stands. All that matters is that all the work put in over the last nine months does not turn out to be wasted.

"Where no hope is left, is left no fear," wrote Milton, and while he probably had more existential matters in mind that a play-off final, there are few more tortured souls as West Ham fans and so his theory raises interesting questions about a game of this magnitude. Many pundits will say that the team which sheds its fear and relaxes will be most likely to prevail but perhaps, as Milton suggests, a little fear is a good thing for it brings with it hope and possibility - the emotion that can cause a player to find that extra yard needed at that crucial moment. On the other hand Michael Chabon wrote about 'lives ruined again and again by hope'. It's hard to know where to turn

So who will emerge blinking into the bright light cast from the Premier League gold? Will West Hams pragmatism triumph over Blackpool's, eh, slightly less pragmatic approach? The bookies seem to think so and have Sam Allardyce's side down as odds-on favourites. They've taken six points off Ian Holloway's side in their two league fixtures this season scoring eight goals in the process - a 4-0 win at Upton Park in October followed by a 4-1 victory at Bloomfield Roan in February. Recently, both sides have been in pretty impressive form with West Ham unbeaten in eight (six wins, two draws) and Blackpool unbeaten in nine (five wins, four draws). In short, it's impossible to call. The Championship play-off final wouldn't have it any other way.

The teams have been named and there is one big piece of breaking team-news – the Blackpool striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher is out and so 109-year-old Kevin Phillips plays but presumably will not last the 90 minutes, West Ham are as expected.

2.35pm: Sky are examining Big Sam, his ways and methods. Sam talks about "the passing game" West Ham have as their heritage with so much suspicion and disdain in his voice he may as well be discussing Berlin's avant-garde fashion scene. "The club had no soul and had no heart," says Big Sam. "We've turned it around and are 90 minutes away from the best league in the world."

2.46pm: It seems the public are behind West Ham, or at least the members of the public who support clubs playing in the Championship next season, as Steven Hughes explains: "I hope that West Ham do it today. I'm renewing my season ticket next week and I don't want 4.35% of that outlay going towards entrance to another deadly dull visit by West Ham and their doltish long ball shtick. No thank you. Up the Hammers!" I'm not sure Championship chairmen would agree.

2.50pm: Championship play-off survivors: is it really the most nervous you've ever been as a fan? Of course, what we can expect to see today is groups of fans anxiously biting their nails until the moment the realise their mugs are up on the big screen at which point they immediately forget that they're bricking it in order to wave maniacally at the camera.

2.55pm: Here's the view from the greatest league in the world, courtesy of Matt Dony: "Having no investment in the Championship, my decision on who to support comes down to whether I'll be more entertained by which manager on MOTD. The self-(deluded)-confidence of Allardicchio, or the sheer, joyful, bonkersness of Holloway. Can both not go up?"

2.56pm: The teams are lined up on the pitch now for the national anthem sung by a girl in a black dress. They really shouldn't have the national anthem before the play-off final. Just because it's at Wembley is no reason to go through with all the formality of a cup final. It is, effectively, a battle for third place. Anyway, that's enough of my grumbling. Here's Ryan Dunne's step-by-step guide for neutrals:

"Delighted that my favourite (and so,plainly, Objectively Best) MBM oficiator is being rewarded with today's Big Game! ;) I, too, would rather see West Ham over Blackpool in the Premiership, for the following reasons:

i) They might be just the 6th most famous team in London, but everyone's heard of West Ham, and there are I'm sure lots of instances of them bringing something exciting to the Premiership table (off the top of my head - and I am, Glorious Glasgow Rangers aside, a neutral: that 8-1 Man U game when Scholes scored from the corner, beating Man U in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, the prelapsarian Joe Cole etc)

ii) Ian Holloway's schtick got very old, very quickly, last time Blackpool were in the Premiership.

iii) I like Karen Brady on The Apprentice."

2.59pm: We're just about to get underway. There are an awful lot of empty seats in the Blackpool sections of the ground.

Peeep! West Ham get the game underway, in their traditional claret and blue playing from left-to-right. Blackpool are in white shirts and orange shorts, West Ham go long from the off straight towards Carlton Cole. Here we go.

1 min: A first chance for West Ham to force an effort on goal but Kevin Nolan puts far too much on a through ball to Cole and Gilks comes and gathers. "Are Blackpool still the lovable greenhorn no-hopers who nevertheless gave it a terrific go, like they were last year?" asks Brinda. "If that's so, seeing who's on the opposite bench, a neutrals decision has never been easier."

2 min: First attack from Blackpool - Dobbie pings a pass down the right flank for Tom Ince to chase. Ince is booed by the West Ham fans on account of something his father, Paul, did 15-odd years ago. Young Tom tries to jink into the area but bodies are back and hold up the attack.

3 min: A great chance for Blackpool and Dobbie who breaks through the offside trap and hits a powerful shot from a tight angle. Green stays big and his arm is strong, blocking the drive before the ball bounces off the outside of the post and away top safety. This is a good start from Blackpool.

7 min: West Ham's game plan is clear - get it forward quickly to Cole to lay-off to Nolan, Noble or O'Neil who will try and find the runs of Jack Collison or Ricardo Vaz Te.

9 min: The game may have started but many of you are still sorting put exactly where your allegiances lie. Paul Morris says: "As a Liverpool fan, I'm torn as to whom I want to see go through. I've always had a soft spot for West Ham, particularly after that stonking 2006 FA Cup Final (although at the time I remember pulling my hair out and cursing the day Paul Konchesky was born ... glad that didn't come back to haunt me), but I can't stand Allardyce and that film Green Street was crap. On the other hand, Blackpool sold us Charlie Adam. It's quite the quandary."

10 min: Stephen Dobbie is looking really lively for Blackpool. You have to hand it to Holloway - nobody turns up a rotund Scottish playmaker quite like him. At the other end, the peacock-resembling Ricardo Van Te slaloms down the left wing but shanks his cross behind goal when he had options in the middle.

14 min: Another great chance for Blackpool but it's probably fallen to the wrong Phillips - Matt rather than Kevin. It was lovely crisp build-up play involving Dobbie yet again. He threaded a pass through a very high West Ham line to the onrushing Phillips who didn't get the ball out from his feet and fired straight at Green.

15 min: Another great chance for Matt Phillips but again it's wasted. It was a terrible mistake from Guy Demel who dawdled and Phillips pounced, weaved inside Reid and try to bend his shot into the corner but sent it past the post with Green beaten. That's three big opportunities for Blackpool. They can't afford to waste many more.

18 min: Wasted Blackpool chances before West Ham grind out a win - this game is being mapped out already, isn't it? Liam Blizard has no allegiance issues: "As a bitter blade, no such confusion here. West ham don't belong in the Premier league. Blackpool all the way!"

19 min: A first real chance for West Ham and Cole collects a clipped pass inside the area, lays off to Noble who finds Vaz Te who shoots into the side-netting. "Katy Perry rooting for Blackpool," toots Joe Pearson. "Surely, after her divorce from Russell Brand. Probably dyed her hair tangerine today, if she's up yet."

23 min: West Ham are starting to get on top now - Big Sam loves being on top. Meanwhile Glenn Hoddle - yes that Glenn Hoddle - writes: "I too am struggling to find allegiances in this game. Blackpool's traffic cone orange is pretty hideous, but on the other hand it's been nice to have a season free of "I'm forever blowing..."

27 min: West Ham will be the happier team now that the game has lost a bit of its rhythm - Jack Collison has just made his first contribution, cutting in from the right and trying to bend a shot with his left foot which he gets all wrong - all wrong - and it sails high and wide.

30 min: Matt Taylor makes his first marauding run down the left and is found by Nolan. He fizzes the ball across goal and it's put behind for a corner. Nobles take it, Gilks comes but is unconvincing and it's put behind by Baptiste on the other side. Taylor takes this one and again it's headed behind. The third corner earns a fourth which Noble takes and Tomkins keeps it alive at the back post, heads back across goal but Kevin Phillips heads clear. Dangerous moments for Blackpool.

Goal! Blackpool 0-1 West Ham United (Cole, 34) West Ham have the lead and it's come out of nowhere. Tom Ince felt he was fouled deep into the West Ham half, Matt Taylor countered but seemed to lose possession. It fell back into his path and he pinged a crossfield ball towards Cole. The rest was brilliant. Cole brought the ranging pass under control with one touch before clipping past Gilks with his second.

37 min: Blackpool need to get their heads together quickly or this is going to be out of reach. It's a great chance for Vaz Te who ran on to another angled pass, this time from the right. He really should have hit the target but fired his left-footed shot wide.

39 min: "An unfamiliar sight here in Jakarta," says Pangeran Siahaan. "A bunch of local West Ham fans crammed in an Irish pub singing I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles and one of them is literally blowing bubbles all over the pub. If it's not enough information for you, this event is organized by someone who's said to be David Gold's cousin." Who, other than David Gold's cousin would claim to be David Gold's cousin?

41 min: Blackpool have really lost their way since that third opportunity was wasted by Matt Phillips. And now, as they try to force their way back into the game, they are resorting to long balls aimed towards Kevin Phillips. Angel Martinez picks up the loose ball when one such long ball is half-cleared but he fires high over the crossbar. "Blackpool all the way," says Jijin. "Haven't you heard the quotable stuff that comes out of Ian Holloway? How can you not want Blackpool to go up? Besides it will be fun to seeBig Sam lording it over the Venkys after destroying them. Or even losing to them. It's win(hyphen) win. I can't figure out how to type a goddamn hyphen on this phone." I'm neutral here, people. Apart from the bet I had on Blackpool.

45 min: *adopts stadium announcer voice* There will be one added minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

Half time: The whistle goes and West Ham are halfway there. It's been an even 45 minutes and Blackpool had three glorious chances to take the lead before the 'Ammers muscled their way back into contention and took the lead through Carlton Cole's fine strike. In eight of the past nine finals the team who has scored first has won the final. Now you think about that and nothing else while I fetch a cup of tea.

Half time emails: "So, Evan,' says Alan Cooper. "It seems to be the usual New Wembley experience: loads of empty seats in prominent places and a poor pitch that is causing the players to slip all over. Sigh."

"Afternoon Evan," says Simon McMahon. "In other news Hibs have pulled a goal back to trail 2-1 to city rivals Hearts at half time in the Scottish Cup Final. Never mind West Ham and Blackpool; who'd be a Hibs fan? They haven't won the Scottish Cup since 1902!"

In more Scottish news Billy Williamson has a boine to pick with Ryan Dunne ...

"I am, Glorious Glasgow Rangers aside, a neutral"

"Does that mean you're pro- or anti-Rangers? Either way, you should know they're not Glasgow Rangers, they're just Rangers. For as long as we continue to exist, anyway. John Fleck of not-Glasgow-just-Rangers is nowhere in the Blackpool squad - injured or not good enough or just room for the one tubby Scot? And Danny Wilson, ex of not-Glasgow-just-Rangers - where is he? Tweeting his employer about who his next boss should be?"

Peep!! We're underway in the second half - no changes on either side.

Goal! Blackpool 1-1 West Ham United (Ince, 47) Tom Ince has scored against West Ham. It's an almost identical goal to West Ham's. Carlton Cole lost it on halfway, Matt Phillips hit a raking pass into the path of Ince who slotted first time past Green in the West Ham goal. Lovely finish from Ince.

49 min: Matt Taylor clears off the line but it's another great chance for Blackpool. Kevin Phillips scoops a ball over the top - Baptiste is a defender in theory but he races on to it, lift it over Green and Taylor thumps clear. What a start to the second half for Blackpool.

53 min: Dobbie finds space and is found by a lovely clipped ball from Ferguson. He should head straight for goal but tries to skip inside Reid onto his right foot but loses the ball. "Out of curiosity," Ian Copestake writes, "which two players did Blackpool bring in the fill their Charlie Adam shaped hole?" Just one Ian. Stephen Dobbie. He's of the same, ahem, proportions as Adam.

54 min: José Allardyce makes his first tactical change as George McCartney comes on to deal with the threat of Tom Ince. Gary O'Neil goes off with Matt Taylor pushing into midfield.

57 min: Guy Demel is down getting treatment which gives West Ham some breathing space. "So happy for Tom Ince after all the abuse his dad's gotten from Hammers fans throughout the boy's life," says Daniel Edward Young. Indeed. Demel is going to have to come off and Julien 'I once played for Real Madrid' Faubert comes on.

57 min: Some Scottish news courtesy of Simon. Scottish Simon. "Five minutes gone in the second half and the wait for Hibs fans goes on. They are now 4-1 behind and down to 10 men. Dont think they can turn that around even if they bring on Sergio Aguero."

59 min: Matt Taylor's delivery means that West Ham always have a chance. He whips in a really dangerous cross from the left. Collison turns the ball goalwards but it's over the top. Collison lands awkwardly on his problematic shoulder but seems to be able to play on. In some ways this half has started exactly like the first with Blackpool well on top, except this time they managed to put away one of their chances.

61 min: And here comes to West Ham fightback. Nolan drives through the middle and finds Cole. He plays it to Vaz Te who tees up Collison but his shot is weak. Taylor then stabs the ball away from goal in one of the more bizarre attempts at kicking a ball you will see on a football pitch and then the flag is raised against Vaz Te who was trying retrieve the loose ball.

64 min: Great save from Gilks who went full length to his right to claw away Carlton Cole's effort on the turn. It was a smart short from Cole who took one touch on the edge of the area the spun and hit the shot goalwards. Take him to the Euros, Mr Roy.

65 min: "Will either of these sides be able to cut it in the best league in the world?" asks Ben Dunn. "Or will they lower the level of super silky skill on display game-after-game with the most elite players ever to have hoofed a ball into touch?"

66 min: A huge chance for Blackpool and they should be in the lead. Evatt (I think) cuts the ball back from the right. It rolls past a couple of players in the area but Dobbie is perfectly positioned, eight yards out in the centre of the goal, but completely scuffs his shot and the ball trickles wide. This is exactly like the first half. Get your money on a 2-1 West Ham win.

70 min: Blackpool are piling on the pressure now. Dobbie's shot from the edge of the area is deflected over the top. From the corner the ball pinballs around the area, Noble stabs it away off the line, before Baptiste fires over. They need to make this count.

73 min: "Gilks plays for Scotland," says cstewart of my "take him to the Euros, Mr Roy" comment earlier which was actually directed at Carlton Cole. Don't take Gilks to the Euros, Mr Roy. He's Scottish.

74 min: This is lovely possession football from Blackpool who are working the ball patiently from side to side. If there was one criticism it's that they don't can't really find a way through the heavily populated West Ham defence and so Dobbie is forced to shoot from distance and Green has go low to his right to claw behind.

77 min: It's all Blackpool at the minute but I'm not sure Big Sam will be unduly concerned. One set piece and all that. In the Scottish Cup Final its now Hibs 1-5 Hearts. Just look at those bragging right, eh.

81 min: West Ham hit the crossbar and it would have been one of the great Wembley goals. Matt Taylor clips in a cross from the left and Kevin Nolan meets it with a dipping volley off his instep which beats Gilks and crashes off the crossbar. The replay shows that Gilks got the slightest touch so it goes down as yet another smart save.

82 min: For a very brief moment it opens up in front of Collison inside the area but he can't get his shot away. Adam Levy writes: "It's 3.37am here in New Zealand, where I am listening to the game via the internet. Surely such dedication deserves a West Ham win." Mmmm.

83 min: Blackpool have a free kick a long way out. It's touched to Dobbie who shoots low and Green makes a straightforward save. West ham go straight up the other end and win a corner. Here we go ...

84 min: ... Blackpool defend it well at the near post before Vaz Te juggles the ball into the area - a piece of skill that is brought to an abrupt halt by Evatt's uncompromising challenge.

85 min: West Ham launch another free kick into the area. James Tomkins wins it easily in the air and probably should have done more with it than plant his header onto the roof of the net.

Goal!!!!! Blackpool 1-2 West Ham United (Vaz Te 87) It was destined to happen. How many chances could Blackpool waste? West Ham have surely won it now. Nolan threaded a pass from the left into Carlton Cole who bundled his way past a challenge and collided with Gilks. The ball fell loose inside the area and Vaz Te hammered it (pun intended) into the roof of the net. Blackpool feel Gilks was fouled by Cole as he stretched for the ball but I don't think they have a case.

88 min: Blackpool go straight up the other end and for a second the ball looks like it's going to fall to Crainey at the back post but he can't get a touch.

90+2 min: Blackpool launch the ball into the area but James Tomkins meets it with a fine clearing header.

90+3 min: West Ham have it in the corner, which is where they'd have for most of the game if Big Sam had his way.

90+4 min: Baptiste is fouled in the centre circle but Webb waves play on. He threads a pass to Dicko who is eased off the ball. Ferguson then knocks it long but it evades everyone and that should be that.

Full time: Blackpool 1-2 West Ham United. West Ham United are promoted to the Premier League.

4.53pm: Ricardo Vaz Te has sent West Ham back to the Premier League and while it's hard to say that they deserved the win on the balance of play, taking chances is a part of football and Blackpool wasted so many opportunities in both halves that you can't really say that they were unlucky. "I told you it was going to be difficult," Allardyce says. "Blackpool were equally as good as us today but it's about taking your chances and never more so than on a day like today. Funnily enough in 49 games this season that's the first time we've won a game in the last few minutes."

4.57pm: So West Ham are about to get handed their trophy for coming third which I'm not even going to dignify by covering. If you followed my advice earlier in the game you will be a wealthy individual at this stage. Unfortunately, as always, I ignored my own advice so I'm going to sit in a dark corner and contemplate my life choices up until this point. Congratulations West Ham and commiserations to Blackpool. Big Sam is back in the big time. Thanks for your emails. There's another match taking place in Munich later. Rob Smyth will be bringing you the minute-by-minute of that. Bye!